Working Ranch Magazine - Index

Working Ranch Magazine - magazine - Index

Installation of the Bale Hugger onto a tractor is fairly simple. The unit easily connects to front
loaders and three-point arms with minor hydraulic installation.
tion. The 165-I model attaches to the
three-point arm behind the tractor
and features patented parallel squeeze
arms for an easy grab while the 165-TL
model features universal brackets to
fit most front-loader designs for simple
attachment.
“We’re in the Sand Hills of Nebraska,
which is primarily cow-calf country,”
said Jeff Vackiner, a cow-calf rancher
and authorized DewEze dealer near
Cody, Nebraska. “A lot of guys will
bring a couple of bales out to their
cows that are being wintered a couple
of miles away.”
Unrolling bales manually is a cumbersome
task but bale-hugging equipment
makes the practice much easier.
“Mounting two bales onto the bed of
a one-ton pickup and running out to
the back pasture to feed the cows is
made a whole lot easier using the bale
bed,” said Willis Payne, a commercial
cow-calf rancher near Saint Jo, Texas.
“We used to use bale feeders but
equipped our pickup with the bale
bed ten months ago and have had no
regrets since.”
Reducing feed waste and improving
the fleshing ability of cattle are the
two most important resulting applications.
This is accomplished by limiting
40 |WORKING RANCH | JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2008
the number of bales fed per day and
rolling out bales so all cows can access
the forage. Payne and Vackiner’s estimations
suggest cows eat 90% of the
hay and leave very little waste if not
supplied with too much.
Important attributes to the usability
of the DewEze Bale Beds are the
squeeze grips and spinners that allow
for easy unrolling. These features
allow ranchers to cross long, rough
terrain, unroll bales quickly, and
deliver high-quality hay to a larger
number of cows.
“We feed a large amount of hay,
about twenty bales a day, and with
the pickup bale bed, it makes a huge
difference being able to throw two
bales on the back of the bed, unroll
them, and get on with other chores,”
Payne said. “Another real nice part
of the pickup bale bed is the remote
control – all you have to do is use the
remote and grab the bale, load it,
and go. It really saves on the workload,”
he added.
SIMPLE CONCEPT,
BUT IT WORKS
The concept is rather simple: feed
a limited number of bales each day
and unroll the bales to allow all cows
the chance to eat. Using the DewEze
Bale Bed makes it even easier to
accomplish, while other benefits
include spreading manure waste
around an area instead of in one
concentrated spot.
“We used to feed a large number of
cattle concentrated in one small area,
using bale feeders. Once we started
using the DewEze equipment, we
couldn’t hardly tell where we unrolled
last,” Payne said. Vackiner agreed, “If
you’re feeding your cows right, they’ll
clean it up with very little waste. The
cows will line up as you unroll the
bale, almost as though they’re eating
at the bunk.”
During the spring calving season,
unrolling a bit more hay can be a benefit
to the young calves during chilly
weather. “When calving season rolls
around, guys unroll a bit more for
their calves so they can cover up from
the colder air,” Vackiner said.
THEY’LL COME
OUT AND INSTALL IT
Installation on the tractor models is
easy. The Bale Hugger easily connects
to front loaders and three-point arms
with minor hydraulic installation.
The DewEze Bale Bed takes approximately
one day to install by a certified
DewEze dealer. Installation features a
rigid frame and convenient positioning
that allows for regular truck use.
Essentially all pickup bed functions,
including the hook-up of a gooseneck
stock trailer, are normal.
“A huge benefit for us is that we
don’t have to remove the Bale Bed to
hook up the gooseneck. It’s out of our
way and out of our hair,” said Payne.
“It is a huge advantage, if we had to
constantly uninstall the Bale Bed, we
wouldn’t be using the product. But,
we absolutely love it on our pickup. If
we get another one-ton, we’ll install a
Bale Bed for sure.”
Ranchers interested in unrolling hay
bales and DewEze equipment installation
may wish to contact the Harper
Industries, Inc. at 1-800-835-1042 or
hook up with an authorized DewEze
dealer. Complete installation prices are
going to depend on freight and other
resources available to the installers.
DewEze Bale Bed costs approximately
$8,000 while the tractor models run
for about $1,600.